Safari Zoo Run 2017 is back for its 5th year and continue to draw many new as well as past participants into running for a cause – Wildlife, and also, it continues to commemorate our beloved Ah Meng who passed on and became an angel in February 2008

The race entry pack collection happened over the weekend of 10 – 12 February at the Marina Square Atrium.

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What made the collection experience unique is the use of the organizing team’s proprietary innovation of the race entry pack vending machine. According to the staff, participants only need to scan their barcode (found on the confirmation email) onto the scanner of the machine, and tada, your tee shirt, as well as the timing chip will be dispensed.

Race Day

Like what most of the runners do upon reaching the race village, I scuffled right to the baggage deposit where the process was smooth, partly due to the abundance of counters available, and I only arrived 15 minutes before flag off so most runners might have already depo-ed theirs.

Warm Up & Race Route

Just before the flag off, we had an impromptu warm-up conducted by the emcee! You know the ‘YMCA’ dance? Yes, we did that as part of warming up and we didn’t really know we were doing it until the too-familiar song started playing. Shortly thereafter, we also caught a glimpse of the mascots as well – Chawang and Ah Meng flagging all runners off!

The 10 km race route would have brought us running through almost all of the available habitats in the zoo, and it was a great experience personally as I have not set foot onto the zoo for almost a decade.

As we ran, the sky began to brighten up, and so as the zoo’s ‘residents’, and in particular, I remember how I noticed the lion’s stare was following me as I ran past it, and with many runners were like “Wow, they are all awakened!” I can’t help but to imagine the animals thinking “Why on earth are there hoomans running around when it isn’t even 8 am yet!”

The race route constitutes a mixture of diversions between first, second loopers, left/right turns, mild slopes (which got slightly technical) and loops. There were at least twice I ran past different finishing gantries (possibly for the different categories) on race day. Water points were ample for my category so no complaints about it. All in all, the race experience was great with the forgiving weather complimenting it.

Post Race

The finisher medal is pretty looking and decent. Finishers were also provided with post race snacks such as bananas and mineral water to replenish the carbs and fluid loss during the run. With a full day complimentary day pass into zoo, friends and myself took some time to walk around the zoo, exploring other wildlife we haven’t seen during the run or in a while, while cheering for the runners of the later categories on their way back to the finish line.

This was my first Safari Zoo Run, and with the above, I have no qualms about joining next year and I certainly look forward to it! P.S I would also like to catch my baby giraffe the next time I am back!!

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